Oscar Tabarez said there is not one player who can contain Cristiano Ronaldo as the Uruguay boss highlighted the need for a team effort to stop the Portugal captain in the World Cup last 16. Ronaldo has been in devastating form in Russia, scoring four goals to help European champions and Group B runners-up Portugal reach the knockout rounds.
All eyes will be on five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo at Fisht Stadium in Sochi on Saturday and Tabarez understands the task facing Uruguay – who qualified as Group A winners – in their pursuit of the quarter-finals.
“I believe that Ronaldo is one of the best strikers in the world,” Tabarez said. “What Ronaldo has on top of these qualities is that he is the leader of that team. There is not a single player that contain him. We will have to work collectively to try to contain him, in order to try to limit the effect he can have.”
Tabarez added: “It will be a great match. We will just see how things pan out. We have already demonstrated this. We don’t lose any sleep over this. We won’t give it more importance than that. We won’t be obsessed. It’s difficult to win, especially if you’re not focused.
“Nine of the [Portugal] players on the pitch [in their last game] are European champions. That speaks of their quality. We’ve been preparing for a while – 12 years we’ve been working together. We’ve been obtaining goals and objectives, step by step. Given the limits we have as a footballing country, we’ve made it to the World Cup. We’ve started showing what we’re trying to achieve. We’re closer than ever to achieving our real objectives and we want to do this at the World Cup. I think we have a certain calmness in facing it.”